View report page

93
Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1927.—On and after
1st July, 1928, all persons in charge of Nursing Homes must
be registered with the Local Supervising Authority.
We continue to make inspections of Nursing Homes in
this district, although the Act does not definitely give us powers
of supervision, but it was found in practice that the authorities
of the Nursing Homes appeared to appreciate the visits of the
officials of the Local Sanitary Authority.
Maternal Mortality.—Enquiries into maternal mortality
and morbidity continue to be made in this Borough as they
have been done for many years past, so that any conditions
which on examination are found and thought to be conducive
in any way to the unfortunate result of the case are dealt with.
In this way it is hoped to be able to give such advice or take
such action as will prevent a similar occurrence in the future.
Up to the present no difficulty has been experienced in making
the necessary enquiries, in fact, all those concerned have usually
expressed their appreciation of the efforts made by this department
in this connection. I have no doubt it is due to the results
that have thus been obtained for years past without occasioning
any friction whatever, that have now culminated in the Ministry
of Health taking up the matter more definitely, and drawing
up of what might be termed regulations for the conduct of such
enquiries on a general scale throughout the country in future.
As indicated above, these enquiries continue to be made in
Greenwich on the same lines as in the past. although an
expression of opinion was made at a meeting of the Maternity
Committee to the effect that such enquiries ought not to
be made unless they are definitely put on a legal basis and
made compulsory throughout the whole of the United Kingdom.
Here again, however, I have no doubt the Government are
simply following out what appears to have become the usual
English practice, that a trial is made of a certain scheme bv
voluntary effort, and after such voluntary effort has continued
for some time and proved the value of such scheme, then definite
legislation is brought forward to make the scheme compulsory.
It would seem as if the latter stage has now been reached with
regard to the Maternal Mortality enquiries.